Chapter 2
CHAPTER 2
Like they had done thousands of times before Medo and Tessa activated the full transformation technique. Focusing on the core they allowed the energy to flow from the center through their nervous system. This process changed them from fleshly humans to beings of pure energy.
Tessa appeared as a humanoid bundle of lightning whilst Medo looked like a human fireball.
In truth, for those with a core, it is far easier to transform than to maintain the human form. It felt as though they were always holding back a torrent of energy, but when they transformed it felt....right.
Tessa felt the weight of the flesh leave her, becoming light and full of surging power. As living lightning her awareness had increased allowing her to sense even the tiniest of electrical fluctuations.
Everyone else talked about how fast she was, but to her it appeared as though the world had merely slowed down. This often made it difficult for her to understand human speech.
Tessa immediately noticed two things. One was that her brothers flames were definably weaker than when she last saw him transform. The second was the wolf. It was entirely different from anything she had ever seen. It's flame had become tinted with a blue color and it was now covered with hard magma like armor. The heat of the flame was such that it blackened the ground and made the air stink of ashes. This creature was the first Oki she had ever witnessed. It provoked such a sense of fear in Tessa that she was frozen in place.
The sound of Odade's calm voice seemed to cut through the muddled cloud that had become her mind, "The Oki is gathering energy. He will use a flame nova. Medo you need to cast a flame shield or we will surely perish. "
Medo had been in a similar state to his twin sister. The wolf had drained him of his magical power. He felt feeble and weak, powerless to move. A sense of dread hung over him like a cloud of doubt that seeped into every fiber of his mind.
When Odade spoke all of that vanished and he became clear headed. Medo realized that the Oki had developed a new ability with its evolution, some kind of fear aura. He felt foolish, and that made him mad. Like really, really mad.
Fueled by his anger Medo's core raged with power. The flames of his elemental form surged as he waved his hands in front of him. A flaming sphere spread all around them creating a barrier.
True to Odade's words, Tessa confirmed to herself that the Oki was indeed gathering a large amount of energy. Medo's shield appeared in front of them just in the nick of time.
A massive burst of blue tinted flame burst from the wolf in a massive explosion. The wave pressed on the shield and shattered it sending the twins flying into the air, but with little damage.
The surrounding forest was not so lucky.
In their elemental form the twins had the power of flight so they had a birds eye view of the devastation.
All the forest within 20 yards was gone, leaving a crater.
Medo looked at his sister. "We have to take this thing down now! Give it everything you have! "
Tessa nodded and attacked. In less than a millisecond she had reached the Oki. Gathering energy in her right hand she slipped between the armor and sent a blast of lighting into its head.
The force of the blast caused the Oki to stagger and drop to the ground.
Tessa could plainly see that it would not be enough. The giant flaming wolf had activated the regeneration ability that Medo sought so desperately.
"Hurry and attack!" Tessa yelled. "It's regenerating!"
With a speed that seemed controversial to its size the Oki snapped at Tessa with its massive jaws. Tessa easily avoided it, countering with another blast of lighting. The beast staggered as a barrage of fireballs slammed into it. Bits of its armor were blasted off with every attack.
Tessa remembered Medo's frustration when fighting fire types, but he had long since mastered how to damage them. He called it the anti fireball. Each hit extinguished the flames of the Oki a little bit more. Medo continued his barrage and Tessa continued as well. It seemed that they had the upper hand.
"Only a few more hits...." Tessa thought to herself.
Suddenly Tessa noticed something strange about the Oki's energy signature. It was changing....becoming entirely different from before. Indeed she could see the physical form of the wolf restructuring itself. The Oki rose up on its hind legs and stood like a human.
Tessa instinctively knew what was happening. It had taken traits from Medo.
"This is why it's forbidden!" She thought to herself.
The Oki had developed hands and now looked like a humanoid with a wolf like jaw. Using the same gesture that Medo had performed earlier it waved its hands and a flame shield appeared around the monster and Tessa.
Tessa was trapped.
She could only watch as Medo's attacks harmlessly bounced off the shield. Deep down she knew...she would die here. This thing was too strong.
The flame shield was so thick and powerful that she couldn't see through it.
She could hear her brother yelling out her name, "TESSA! TESSA! NOOO! "
If this thing got loose it could cause untold destruction. Tessa could not let that happen. Even if she had to sacrifice herself, she was going to stop it. As her last ditch effort Tessa began to gather all of her energy for one giant attack.
The Oki, sensing the threat, began to swipe at her with claws that had appeared on its hands. Each swipe left a trail of fire behind it, cutting off Tessa's ability to dodge.
She was out of time. It was now or never.
With one final dodge she closed the gap between them and sent all of her energy through the gap in its armor. The force was massive but the Oki still stood. A strange sound erupted from the monster.
Tessa realized it was laughing at her.
"Impossible! " She thought, "How can we beat this thing!?!"
Just when she thought all was lost the Oki...just..died. It disappeared as though some massive power had hit it from behind.
Standing behind the monster, barely visible, was Odade. His hand was over his mouth in a shushing motion.
He vanished.
Suddenly Tessa could hear his voice in her ear, as though he was standing next to her. "It would be no good for my plans if you two were to die here. No one will believe you anyway. "
When she turned to look, there was no one there. Tessa felt a shiver down her spine. "What just happened! " She thought.
With the death of the Oki the flame shield dissipated. Medo immediately came bursting through. " Sis! You did it! You beat it! "
Medo was smiling as he began to absorb the flame energy left behind by the Oki.
He could not contain his joy, "Tessa! My core is level 2 now! So awesome!"
Tessa could plainly see that Medo's soul form had grown. He now had the same blue tint to his fire as the Oki.
Tessa was angry, "You idiot! How can you be smiling at a time like this! How will we explain.."
She was interrupted by a loud baritone voice, " WHAT IS GOING HERE! "
Turning around the twins could see that it was none other than the bane of all hunters in Zone C, Irving .
Irving was a tall masculine man with broad shoulders and a sturdy build. He had short blonde hair that he kept neat and orderly. His family was rich, so the compressor robes he wore had powerful magic wove into the fabric. They gave him super strength and speed, enough to rival even hunters with a level 2 core. To him, all of us level 1 hunters were weak and useless.
Irving had with him the four hunters in his group, all who wore the same suit of armorite as the twins. None of them seemed to happy to be awake in the middle of the night.
"Return to your human form and answer my questions! That's an order. How will you explain what? What are you hiding?" Irving demanded.
"I will answer your questions. " Odade chimed in from the same non chalant stance as he was in earlier. "After all, I saw the whole thing. I was about to send my report when you rudely interrupted these hunters celebration of a mighty victory. Can you not see that Medo has increased his core's strength? "
Irving was taken aback. Although he was strong and had many financial backers, Odade technically out ranked him so he had no choice but to show deference.
OH dude! What a surprise to see you here. Please by all means, make your report. " Irving said bowing sarcastically.
Odade ignored his taunting and held up his hand. Runes began glowing, lighting up and down his arm.
Tessa held her breath. She knew once he filed his report she would never see her brother again.
Irving glared at Odade as his arm stopped glowing and returned to normal. "You are lying aren't you? The chances of two stars landing next to each other are a million to one. " Irving accused.
"You and I both know we cannot lie. It happened before. I saw it Ten years ago. " Odade replied dryly. " Don't tell me you've forgotten of the massacre that happened in Zone C. After all, you were too weak to stop it. "
Irving's face darkened but he calmed down. "My senses tell me that there are indeed two stars next to each other. Many thanks go to the heroes Tessa and Medo. They have saved countless lives. "
The other hunters saluted in a manner of respect with one hand covering the other in front of their chests.
Irving and Odade dismissed the hunters then Irving began compressing the stars residual energy.
Tessa felt like she was crazy. There was only one star. One. Yet somehow there was now two stars right next to each other.
As she left Odade caught her eye and held up a finger to his mouth. His wicked smile sent shivers down her spine.